


rumor has it

by painting



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 13:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13054641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/painting/pseuds/painting
Summary: "Not sounding so great today, Goldilocks."Sebastian almost dropped the supplies he was holding, pausing to fix his posture and rebalance the wooden box against his hip bone. The storage area was damp and cool, normally a relieving contrast against the salty heat, but that day all it did was trigger a bloom of goosebumps underneath the thin fabric of his sleeves, making him eager to finish up his sorting and settle down somewhere above deck before they hit the shore.





	rumor has it

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SergeantAtArms](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SergeantAtArms/gifts).



> i got my dear dear dear friend sergeantatarms for this year's secret santa, and i'm using this notes section to say how thrilled i was to be able to write for you, and i hope you like it! happy december!

"Not sounding so great today, Goldilocks."

Sebastian almost dropped the supplies he was holding, pausing to fix his posture and rebalance the wooden box against his hip bone. The storage area was damp and cool, normally a relieving contrast against the salty heat, but that day all it did was trigger a bloom of goosebumps underneath the thin fabric of his sleeves, making him eager to finish up his sorting and settle down somewhere above deck before they hit the shore.

"What do you mean," he said flatly, avoiding Marja's gaze as he passed her on the steps, eyes locked forward. He bit back his performative request that she quit calling him Goldilocks, because he realized that, at least for the moment, he was better off picking his battles. 

"A-ha! Good one." Marja ignored his body language and clapped Sebastian on the shoulder anyway. The sailors working the rigs often called her Marja the Tactless to her face, but Sebastian had never minded her brash approaches until now. "I know you can hear yourself. You catch a cold while we were docked up north?"

As Sebastian continued up the stairs and onto the main deck, Marja followed him.

"Fuck off, I sound fine."

"Try again."

"It's just all this island air, I dunno, whatever," he waved off as he bent down and set the crate on the floor. The change of position made the front of his face feel tight and uncomfortable, throbbing as he headed back down for what he hoped would be his final round of the morning.

"You're _used_ to the island air," Marja said. With purpose, she bumped her body into the railing and then against the ship's walls, like the conversation was trying her patience in an agonizing way. "You've been pillaging harbors with us since you were a teenager, practically fresh out of the womb. You'd think that you'd be a better liar by now!"

Out of excuses now, Sebastian shrugged, ignoring Marja's phrasing.

Marja rushed ahead of him down the stairs, reaching the last crate of bottles before Sebastian could get to it. "I'll help you with this one," she offered. "Are you trading today, too?"

"Yeah, this afternoon," Sebastian said. His voice snagged on the last word and he coughed to clear it, trying to disguise it as an abrupt sort of laugh, even though the conversation wasn't particularly funny and he wasn't the type to laugh at nothing. "With the Kappas off the eastern peninsula. You coming?"

"Busy this time. But thanks," Marja said as she picked up the crate with ease and held it up over her shoulder with one arm. "They are so not gonna take you seriously sounding like that, Goldy-boy. But _you_ …" She walked back toward the steps and tugged on the base of Sebastian's hair where he'd tied it back. " _You_ might want to take care of that cough and do something about your voice, first."

-

The Kappas didn't say a word about Sebastian's voice, initially.

The men they sent to trade with Sebastian's crew were often quite eccentric, but always polite and diplomatic. All of what Sebastian had to offer them were stolen goods, but he doubted that they'd come upon the money they passed over in exchange through lawful and virtuous deeds — an unsaid agreement of likeminded folk. Nonetheless, they managed to skirt around the issue with ease, making small talk and playful banter as they transported what items they needed from the back of the ship to the rickety cart they brought with them to the shoreline.

"Ooh. I like this one," said one of the shorter men once their transactions had begun, his beard brushing up against the chain of the pocket watch he'd brought closer to his face for inspection. "Where'd it come from?" 

"North desert," Sebastian said. His nose prickled and he pressed his palm against the side of it to try and ward off the inevitable.

"No kiddin'?" another man asked. Sebastian had only met him once before, months ago when they'd last docked at the island, but he'd been a lot quieter that time. "We've got a group of Kappa on the south shores there. You run into them?"

Sebastian dropped his hand and sniffled, hoping it looked gruff and intentional instead of pathetic and sickly. "Yeah," he said, voice unwavering.

"Hope they said hi."

"They said," Sebastian reported earnestly, "fuck you guys, and to give their Akoya magnifying glasses back."

"That means hi." The shorter man dangled the pocket watch back and forth with a hungry smile. "Surprised they didn't snatch this up before you did. They're pretty crafty up there."

"Not crafty enough to keep hold of their shit, though, I guess!" Sebastian said. The prickling in his sinuses burned behind his eyes.

"You got that right," the Kappa boasted, pulling a tool out from his pocket to make his mark. Most of the merchandise their gang hoarded ended up with some kind of turtle design etched into it, in honor of the _actual_ Kappas, Sebastian guessed. It was some kind of tradition that he'd never asked about. "How much?"

Sebastian couldn't answer right away, preoccupied with doing his best to contain what turned out to be a relentless set of sneezes.

" _Hd'NGTch!_ "

"What?"

" _Hhp'TCHXT'uh!_ Let's say thirty-six."

"Done."

The sniffle that came out of him as the Kappa handed him the money was stuffy and short and useless. He was just pocketing the last of the change when the tickling resurfaced and had him bobbing his head back down into his other hand.

" _Huhh'hhtCHXSST'aahh!_ "

He didn't know whether the Kappas were too preoccupied with the trade to mention it or simply kind enough to let him save face until they closed the deal, but once once all was said and done they advised Sebastian to promptly take care of what was ailing him lest he be caught without the proper antidotes after he'd returned to the sea.

-

Finally finally _finally_ , after taking some maps from a stand downtown and running inventory and learning a couple new card tricks from Ramona on deck, at the very end of the day, Sebastian found Hayes at the shitty island tavern. It was vibrant inside, both in light and mood, crowded and stuffy and loud just like Sebastian knew Hayes preferred it. He'd joined the ship less than a year ago, long after Sebastian had been aboard, but Hayes fit in with the crew and the locals better than Sebastian ever had.

The way Hayes's eyes enlivened the instant he put his eyes on Sebastian made him understand why every time.

"You get the next round!" Hayes called to someone behind him. His words practically sparkled. Everything about Hayes was so bright and exciting and safe and magnetic that a crowd often couldn't help revolving around him. "Bring Sebastian a drink! Okay?!"

The bustling crowd didn't waver, gleefully drunk and friendly as always, but Hayes turned back around so Sebastian assumed that whoever it was had heard him and done what he wanted. Sebastian bumped and tapped a few familiar figures on his way to Hayes's table. A few of the patrons cheered when Sebastian pounded on its surface in greeting, and Sebastian felt his own face tighten with a wide responsive grin.

"Hi," he said, and Hayes slid over to him quick as a whip, his arm around Sebastian's shoulders instantly.

"I haven't seen you _all_ fuckin' day," Hayes complained as he took off his hat. He kept the hair underneath buzzed short, standing up in salty-stiff spikes that contrasted beautifully against his jewelry. "You okay? Ramona said you were sick."

"She did not," Sebastian said. He didn't know why he'd challenged it, because Ramona was definitely the type to tell on him.

"Oh yeah," Hayes confirmed. He pulled Sebastian a little closer, smelling like wood and spice. "She said you sounded like shit, actually, but I'm a great translator."

"Was she right?"

In response, Hayes kissed Sebastian shamelessly. Someone behind them grabbed hold of Sebastian's shoulder and shook him a little, teasing, but neither of them let go for as long as Sebastian could hold his breath.

"Hmm. Yeah," Hayes said against Sebastian's cheek once they let go. "Right as rain, I'm afraid. Here, you drink some of this 'til Jas gets here with yours."

He grabbed a mug of ale from across the table and handed it over, and Sebastian took a sip right away. Hayes hummed into Sebastian's hair until the cup was empty.

-

The sneezing didn't really take hold until later that night, when Sebastian had taken off his boots and started wanting to settle into bed. Hayes was right there with him, rounds of poker forgotten upstairs the moment Sebastian mentioned wanting to head below deck to take claim of a hammock for the two of them to share. He'd been ahead of the game anyway.

"… _HdtCHXXT'ah! TCHHXST'shahhh_ mygod."

"Mmm. Wow."

" _Ah'hhHH'IIIEESSHHH'yew!_ "

"Mhm, there it is. You really are sick, huh?"

Sebastian rubbed at his face, wondering if he'd ever get relief from the tingling pressure inside of it. He guessed no.

"I…" he started to say, but the cold in his head wouldn't even let him go that far. " _Huh-TCHXT'SHuh!_ "

"Aw, c'mere," Hayes said, though he was headed toward Sebastian before Sebastian even had a chance to get up. When he reached the hammock, Hayes pressed a tattered blue cloth into Sebastian's hand. Sebastian made use of it immediately.

" _Hh'AESSSCHhh'hh-! Eht'CHZSHHh'YEW!_ Thanks."

"Bless you."

"Thank you."

Hayes undid Sebastian's hair and smoothed it back from his face before kissing him again. The roughness of his touch was more comforting to Sebastian than anything the medic could have ever offered him.

"If you sleep here tonight," Sebastian warned, his voice wrecked with congestion, "I'm probably going to keep you up."

"You keep me up anyway," Hayes said. "I was in the crow's nest all of last night on lookout. You think I'd miss out two nights in a row?"

Beds were sparse, so if any members of the crew were partnered up, they tended to share, either in a hammock or a nest of cloth on the floor. The former was more comfortable, obviously, but most of them had adjusted to the latter rather quickly after they started to work onboard. Although hammocks were first come first serve, Sebastian guessed that someone would have offered one to him (and also to Hayes, by proxy) because his cold seemed to be the hottest gossip from the ship to beyond the dock itself.

Despite the accompanying embarrassment, Sebastian knew it was for the best. With the word on the streets he knew that the two of them wouldn't be bothered, at least not explicitly, until morning.


End file.
